Paste The Watergate scandal during the early 1970s caused considerable amount of chaos that brought politicians and the government to shame. It was also a time of mistrust, lost confidence in officials and believing the worst in politics, mostly from the perspective of the American people. On the other hand, the Watergate scandal is physical proof that the system of law and Constitution does prevail over crooked politicians (Fisher, 2012). In the Washington Post’s Editorial: Watergate: The unfinished business, Richard Nixon is deemed as acting more or so ignorant towards the Watergate situation before finally acknowledging its concerns on April 17, and rather in order to impress the public and avoid more pressures from them. This article further emphasizes Nixon’s failing restoration of the public’s trust. The author concludes that he did acknowledge his wrongful acts but the whole situation remains “unfinished”, meaning that more could’ve been done (The Washington Post, 1973). This article can impact the reader’s perspective and understanding of this crisis because it explains that no one in politics should be fully and a hundred percent be trusted, for there is no man who is above law. Furthermore, the author encourages readers to understand that they are entitled to know the truth.
On another article written by Dean Burch, is a statement that defended the actions of Nixon. His writing mostly depicted of the painful betrayal of the Chicago Tribune and how he disagrees with their context of “private Nixon” and “public Nixon”. In his defense, Nixon only wanted to protect the reputation of his loyal friends, to preserve his presidency and the nation. Moreover, Burch describes the hardships that a president has to go through for the country. This article can emotionally impact the reader’s understanding of the Watergate crisis and force them to feel remorse regarding Nixon and his fallen presidency. Also, Burch seems to target the Chicago Tribune even more by considering it once being an “old friend” of Nixon’s. This may just complicate how the media is showed, making it seem as if they were the ones at fault and not Nixon himself. Burch definitely wanted readers to think that not all presidents are perfect.
There is no doubt that the country has been forever changed after the happenings of the Watergate scandal. In an essay that CNN published in 2014, Princeton history and public affairs professor Julian Zeilzer wrote, “The scandal continues to reverberate today throughout the political spectrum. We still live in an era of Watergate,” in regards to the nationwide distrust of the government after this political crisis. It also led to the American people adopting an even more skeptical attitude towards elected officials and political affairs (Hardy, 2015).
The U.S. News & World Report states, “The over-all effect of Watergate is seen as having a cleansing effect on the nation’s political process,” meaning a more defined and honest politics that is open and candid (U.S. News Staff, 2014). In my own personal view, I absolutely agree with this. The events the continued after Watergate positively changed the press coverage of politicians and anyone affiliated with politics. If the American people did not have journalists working to provide them the truth, then maybe today’s society would’ve stayed the same, having no room for innovation and confidence in making sure that citizens have a voice that they can use. I am totally convinced that this led to inspiring many young adults today, like me, who seek facts and truth rather than assuming. And it definitely changed the media, which further emphasizes the people’s lack of confidence in politicians and the U.S. government that was caused by this traumatic situation.
The impact of today’s technology, if it were present during the Watergate scandal, might have been very different and way worse because of today’s social networking sites such as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, etc. The coverage of the event would have been catastrophic if it traveled fast forward in today’s society. In an interview with Carl Bernstein, who was one of the two original Washington Post news reporters of the Watergate scandal in the 1970s, the New York Times concluded that Bernstein believes that the major difference in media back then and versus now is “that there was an open-mindedness among citizens in the country to the best obtainable version of the truth.” He also added that there are additional people who are looking for any type of information in the media that details and reinforces what they already believe in (Rutenberg, 2017). This basically means that many people nowadays are searching on google or whichever site they choose, to look for the same opinion on what they already have in mind rather than search for facts and the truth. Also, the whole news coverage of this topic would’ve lasted many months because some can’t seem to get over political scandals such as the Watergate, therefore adding to an even more increase in social media posts and online journals. These current and upcoming innovations in technology are both helpful and harmful to the way that people consider current events. One reason that they may be helpful is the widespread sources that the internet has provided, which includes services from Google and other popular search engines. The negative and harmful effects of our current social media are mainly caused by the unfortunate sources that falsely informs those uneducated in the manner, more importantly sources that include politics or religion, any information that may cause an uproar. Some of these so-called “credible” sources twist and turn the words of those included in false scandals and may also use clickbait titles on videos and posts to acquire a wide-ranging audience.
In conclusion, the media has developed so much over the course of decades. More than ever, technology will keep evolving and the younger generation will be the voice of the future of this country. Whether or not this is a positive or negative thing causes differing opinions from many people. But it is highly encouraged that everyone should make good choices when using social media. Hate shouldn’t be encouraged and that truth and justice will always prevail; the Watergate scandal is proof of this point.
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